What is Football Betting?

Football betting, or soccer betting for Americans, is as its name suggests. It’s betting on the potential outcome of football matches.

Football, being one of the most widely played and followed games in the world, is a popular sports betting market. It is one of the most bet on in the UK, alongside horse racing and tennis.

When football betting, you can either bet that a team is going to win, place or lose. These involve place-back bets and lay bets. The bets can also be more complex, as is the case for Accy and multiple bets.

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Are Football Betting Markets Popular in the UK?

Yes. It is one of the most popular betting markets in the UK.

Punters all over the United Kingdom spend a huge amount of money yearly, betting on football betting markets. It’s so huge that the UK Gambling Commission was established to help regulate it.

Another thing that makes it popular is that in the UK, profits from gambling are not taxed. You can make a living from gambling and not pay a pound in income tax.

Football Betting Categories

There is a huge diversity when it comes to betting categories for football. Almost every game played and football tournament can be bet on. Punters are especially fond of betting on games from tournaments and leagues such as:

  • Premier League
  • Champions League
  • World Cup

In addition to these more popular ones, punters also love betting on other football markets, such as the Europa League, Africa Cup of Nations, La Liga, and UEFA Nations League. The Premier League remains one of the most popular football betting markets.

Football Betting Tips

If you’re new to football betting, or even if you’ve been sports betting for a while now, we have a couple of football betting tips that you may find handy:

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Mix it Up, Try Full Cover Bets and Accumulator Bets

If you have been just placing single bets on whether your team is going to win or place, try switching it up and go for an Accumulator bet, also known as Acca or Accy bet.

You can also go for a full cover bet or a series of multiple bets. You can even try your hand at spread betting, handicap betting, or forecast betting.

The advantage to these complex bets is that they usually have some of the most competitive football odds and also have smaller odds compared to single bets.

Hold Out for the Best Odds

Speaking of odds, when it comes to betting on football or any sport, it is recommended that you place bets when the odds are falling, not when they’re on the rise.

Also, bet as close to the game or as close to the end of a race or a tournament as possible. That way you can have a better predictor of the actual odds you are going to get.

Common Football Bets

The most common football bets are the single bets, which can either be win bets, place bets, or each way bets.

Football punters also enjoy placing more complex bets and multiple bets. One of the most popular football bets is the Yankee bet. Full cover bets are popular too. So are accumulator bets and spread betting.

These often have smaller stakes compared to the single bets but they have a higher rate of return.

Betting FAQ

  • How to find the best football betting sites?

    It's a combination of a couple of things - know what you want from a betting site and be willing to shop around and do your research. If you are looking for competitive football odds, make that your priority when looking for a sports betting site. Enhanced odds give bigger returns too. If you normally place multiple bets, accumulator bets, or full cover bets, look for betting sites that offer these. Take your time to get to know a site. Don't hesitate to try out new betting sites. If you don't want to lose your own money, make use of the welcome offers and free bet bonuses.

  • Can you use free bets on football betting markets?

    Yes. Absolutely! You can use any free bet stakes that were given to you by the betting site to make a bet. It can even be used to make your first sports bet. If things go well, it can lead to your first qualifying bet and your first qualifying bet settlement.

  • How to find the best football betting odds

    Go to football betting sites that are known for great odds. If you are interested in odds that do not fluctuate even if they are going to be a bit smaller, consider betting sites that have fixed odds. Betting exchanges also tend to have higher odds than traditional bookmaker markets. This is because punters would be betting against each other and not the bookie.

  • Do you need to watch a football match to bet on football?

    Not necessarily. You can just place bets on any upcoming football match, leave it, and come back later to check if you've won or lost. If you're match-betting, you don't even have to know anything about football in order to bet since you are still guaranteed a profit from the free bets paid.

  • Are football betting markets and sites sanctioned by the UK Gambling Commission?

    Yes. The UK Gambling Commission regulates the operations of football betting sites and other sports betting companies. They are charged a levy for operations. For your protection, do not use football betting sites that are not regulated by the UGC.

  • Do football betting sites offer in-play markets?

    Yes. Football betting sites offer punters the chance for in-play betting. This goes for traditional bookmakers and betting exchanges.